Package conveying apparatus



May 3l, 1932. s, B MOT-|- 1,860,718

PACKAGE CONVEYING APPARATUS Filed July 6, 1931 54 aq 2T a@ Z az/w? /14 mf OOOOOOOOOOOGO n OOOOOOG O O O O O O 45 Z -OOFOOO O O 017,0 O OOO 1% momodonno@ O 42 Z4 ooo`o INVENTOR. 44, l ff/w54 E. Mo 77.'

MwmL,

ATTORNEY.

P lq.

Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED STATES PATEN SAMUEL B. MOTT, OF NOBLESVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T INDIANA CONDENSED MILK COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATIQN y :PACKAGE CONVEYING APPARATUS This is a conveying apparatus for conveying boxes, baskets, crates or other packages, and it is provided with means for effecting a sharp rectangular turn of the packages,

which passes them from the end of one conveyor, at the adjacent side of another conveyor, upon the last mentioned conveyor.

The invention has been used in a system of roller conveyors in a factory for manufacturing milk products that are first packed in metal baskets, the baskets containing cans of different sizes traveling over different conveyors and being conveyed ultimately to one conveyor that leads to sterilizing apparatus. In this system, some of the baskets come to the main conveyor from a branch conveyor that terminates at the side of the main conveyor and at that point it is desired to effect a sharp rectangular turn of the baskets from the branch conveyor to the main conveyor.

It is my understanding that the effecting of a sharp rectangular turn of the packages or baskets of substantially 90, has not been accomplished heretofore and is the problem sought to be solved by this invention.

The chief feature of the invention consists in providing means at the end of the branch conveyor for holding or retarding one side of a basket or package, and rotary driven means for simultaneously engaging and advancing the opposite side of thebasket or package to give to it the rectangular turning movement that will discharge it upon the 'main conveyor.

One feature of the invention consists in providing a rotary driven conical roller for engaging the bottom of the package or basket at one side for advancing it and turning the basket, in cooperation of other parts.

Another feature of the invention is in combining with the foregoing a round member, preferably having a very limited rotary movement, for holding the` bottom of the package or basket on the side that is to be held or retardedwhile the opposite side is being advanced and turned.

The foregoing, with other features ofthe invention, will more fully appear from the following descriptionand claims and theaccompanying drawings: Y

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of said conveylng apparatus wit-h a basket or package indicated by full and dotted lines in dif.- ferent stages of movement in being passed from one conveyor to theother. Fig. 2 is a view partially in section and partially in side elevation on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 to illustrate the driving mechanism for the branch conveyor. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the package turning roller as shown in Fig. 1, parts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section of a modified form of the conical part of said turning roller. A

l In the drawings thereis shown a main gravity roller conveyor 10 having rollers 11 mounted in supports 12 on the frame 13, and having guard bars 114. Nothing is new in the construction of this conveyor and the baskets or packages travel along the conveyor by reason of gravity as the rollers 11 are not driven. However, the invention is not limited to a gravity or a roller rconveyor as it might be used with a driven conveyon` On said conveyor 10, which herein we will term the main conveyor, in the particular factory in which this invention has been used, metal baskets 14 containing one size of cans filled with evaporated milk, or other product, travels toward the sterilizing apparatus which is not here shown.

A branch conveyor 15 extends at a right angle to the portion of the main conveyor 10 herein presented and it terminates adjacent the side of said'main conveyor `substantially as shown. .On this conveyor, baskets 14 containing dii'ferent sized cans'are moved in the direction of the arrow toward'said mainv conveyor. This branch conveyor 15 is a driven conveyor and lhas rollers'16 mountedin an endlesschain 17 traveling on a track 18. The chains travelr over sprocket wheels 19 which havea shaft 2O on which a larger sprocket wheel 21 -isA secured that is driven by the fsprocket chain`22, which, lin turn, is driven by the small sprocket wheel 23 on the shaft 24 that is driven by suitable power imparted in YaV speed reducer 25. The shaft 20 is mounted in bearings 26 as seen in'Fig.' 2 which are mounted on the frame 27 adjacent Vto the side of the main conveyor.

A basket 14 is indicated in the right hand portion of Fig. 1 although in the factory in Which the invention has been used, said basket is a metal skeleton basket With openings to permitA the sterilization of the contents of the basket.

The problem was to provide means to give to the basket or packages 14 a sharp rectangu lar turn to enable them to be discharged from the'branch conveyor to the main conveyor as indicated in Fig. 1. To accomplish that result, I have provided a conical driven roller 30 to engage the bottom of the basket or package at one side and give to it the turning movement, While the bottom `at the opposite. side of the basket is held or vretarded by one or more circular members 45 near therside guard bar 32 of the branch conveyor, On the opposite side oi the branch conveyor, the guard bar 33 has a portion 34 bent outwardly and secured in the position shown in Fig. 1 so as to enable the basket or package to makethe turn.

VThe turning roller 30 is not only conical but its surface is formed so as to frictionally engage the bottom of the basket or package 14 and effect the turning` movement. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the surface ot said turning roller 30 is provided With longitudh nal flutes 130 but the invention is not limited to such construction. .v l Y A modilied torni ofgsaid roller 30 is shown in Fig. 4 Where its surface is covered with a layer of rubber, canvas Ior leather 230 which will have much the saine effect as the flutes 130 by Way of rictionally engaging and turning the basket or package 14. ,A

Said turning roller 30 is securedon a shaft 35 as seen in Fig. 3 and it has bearings 43 at its tvvo ends on the tram-e members 36 .and 37, and it is .driven by a sprocket wheel 33 sccured on said shaft 35 and a sprocket chain 39 extends from said sprocket Wheel 38 .to a

sprocket Wheel 40 on shaft 41 in bearings 42. The sprocket Wheel 40 is mounted so as to be driven by the chain 22.

Onthe shaft 35 as Vseen in Fig. 3 there are a number of circulardisks or members 455 but they are not driven members. @These ineinbers are individually permitted `to have a slightyielding or rotatable movement limited by pins 46 that extend downward 'from kthem and which, in their .oscillatory movement, engage the Abottom of the frame member l2 which supports lthe rollers 1,1 of theV main rofl-ler conveyor, as indicated by -dottedlines in Figs. 1 'and 2. The members 45 can be varied as to number and thevpns 46 can be secured in any of them .as desired. A stop pin 46 should be in each of sai-d members 45 that is liableto be engaged by the bottom of the basket or package near the sideedge thereof so as to retard or hold the same during return movement.

The basket or package 14 travels on the branch conveyor, as indicated in the right hand part of F ig. 1. When the advancing bottom edge of the basket or package meets the conical driven roller 30, it will start to turn th-e basket for at that time the opposite side has engaged one of the disks or members 45, Which stops or retards the basket or packF age. The end of the guard bar 32 of the branch conveyor is bent at 132, as seen in Fig. 1 or otherwise formed so as not to interfere With and permit the turning movement of the basket or package. As the turning movement of the basket- 14 progresses., it reaches the first dotted line osition shown in Fig. 1 and furr ther operation will move it entirely across to the main conveyor, as indicated in the second dotted line position in Fig. 1.

The relative position of the package or basket 14 .and the parts of the means for giv ing it its rectangular turn is shown, in Fig. 3 at the time that theadvancing edge of the package iirst moves upon the turning roller. As there seen, one of .the members 45engages the bottom of the package .at one side and holds or retards it, and the rotary conical roller 30 engages the bottoni or the' package or basket at the opposite side and gives it rapid advancing movement. The package or basket .14 between its two opposite sides is, therefore, out of contact with anything during the turning movement. v

Theinvention claimed is:

1. A conveyor apparatus including two conveyors, one of which terminates at the side of and at a right `angle to the other conconveyor, means etvveen said conveyors for engaging a package near one side thereof for retarding the saine, and a. driven conical roller between said conveyors for simultaneously engaging the package nea-r the opposite'side thereof `and advancing the package and causing it to make a rectangular turn from one convey or to the other conveyor.

2. i conveyor apparatus including .a rst roller conveyor, a second roller conveyor terminating at the side ot and at .a right angle to .the-nrst conveyor, means at the end of .the

vsecond conveyor for retarding the packages at one side thereof., and a coni-cal rotatable .driven roller betweenthev conveyors and parallel with .the roller-s vof the second conveyor for .engaging ,the packages at vthe V.opposite side .thereof and giving them .a rectangular turn from the branch conveyor to .the main conveyor.

3. A conveyor apparatus incuding a iist conveyor, a second conveyor 'terminating .at the side of and at .a right angle to the ltiret conveyor, means at the end of the branch conveyor for rictioirally vretarding the packages at .one si-de thereof., and a rotatable driven conical roller between the two conf veyors With the surface thereof formed so as to frictionally engage the bottom of the packages at the opposite side thereof and cause the same to make a rectangular turn from the second conveyor to the lirst conveyor.

4. A conveyor apparatus including a main conveyor, a branch conveyor terminating at the side of and at a right angle to the main conveyor, means at the end of the branch conveyor for frictionally holding one side of the packages, and a rotatable driven conical roller With the surface provided With longitudinal flutes for engaging the bottom of the package at the opposite side thereof so as to cause the package to make a rectangular turn from the branch conveyor to the main conveyor.

5. A conveyor apparatus including a main conveyor, a branch conveyor terminating at the side of and at a right angle to the main conveyor, a driven shaft at the end of the branch conveyor parallel With the rollers of said conveyor, circular members mounted on said shaft near one end so as to be substantially stationary to engage the bottom of the package near one side thereof and retard its movement, and an enlarged'conical member secured on the other end of said shaft having the surface adapted to frictionally engage the bottom of the package near the opposite side thereof and cause it to be rapidly advanced so as to give the package a rectangular turn as it leaves the branch conveyor and discharge it on the main conveyor.

6. A conveyor apparatus including a main roller conveyor, a branch roller conveyor terminating at the side of and at a right angle to the main conveyor, a driven shaft at the end of the branch conveyor parallel With the rollers of said conveyor, circular members mounted on said shaft near one end to engage i the bottom of the package near one side thereof and retard its movement, pins extending from said circular members adapted to engage the frame of the main conveyor and prevent rotary movement, and a conical memiber secured on the other end of said shaft having the surface adapted to frictionally engage the bottom of the package near the opposite side thereof and cause it to be rapidly advanced so as to give the package the rec-y tangular turn as it leaves the branch conveyor and discharge it on the main conveyor'.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature. v

SAMUEL B. MOTT. 

